Saunders Re-elected As Captain

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Junior captain Cornelius Saunders has been re-elected to captain the Yale men's fencing team for the 2013-14 season.

After successfully captaining the Bulldogs this past season, Saunders was returned as captain at the team's annual end of year banquet Saturday evening. At the same banquet, Saunders was also awarded the "Pop" Grasson Award for his captaincy of the team this year.

In the 2012-2013 season, Saunders led the Elis to several victories and strong results, including wins against Drew and Vassar, as well as a 5-1 result at the Brandeis Invitational and an 11th-place finish at the NCAA National Championship.

Saunders is also an accomplished fencer in his own right. As a freshman, he took home the Most Outstanding Rookie award from the Ivy League Championship, after a first team All-Ivy performance that included a 13-2 record.

Looking ahead, Saunders said he hopes to build on this year's performances when he re-takes the helm next season.

"We have a talented young team that is capable of exceeding all expectations next year," Saunders said of the year ahead. "Nonetheless, we will miss our graduating seniors—Nate Benzimra and William Zhao—who have had a tremendous impact on the program in their four years as Yale fencers."